Election over, issue of CUHP expansion back in spotlight
Lalit Mohan
Dharamsala, June 8
With elections over, the issue of the Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) North campus is once again generating political heat in Dharamsala. The newly elected BJP MLA from Dharamsala, Sudhir Sharma who is touring the constituency to thank voters has set out his agenda for CUHP North campus. Sudhir Sharma who switched to BJP along with the other Congress MLAs said that he would launch a stir over the issue of CUHP. He alleged CUHP North Campus was a big investment project given by the Union Government to Dharamsala and the present Congress government was stalling the project.
Construction of North campus
- During election campaign, the Chief Minister had said the govt would deposit Rs 15 crore in the month of June for transferring forest land in the name of CUHP
- The case for deposition of Rs 30 crore for transfer of about 56 hectares of forest land in Jadrangal in the name of CUHP was sent to the govt by Kangra administration in July 2023
- Newly elected BJP MLA from Dharamsala, Sudhir Sharma, said he would soon launch a stir
The present Congress government has been dragging its feet over the construction of North Campus of CUHP in Jadragnal area of Dharamsala. The case for deposition of Rs 30 crore for transfer of about 56 hectares of forest land in Jadrangal in the name of CUHP was sent to the government by the Kangra district administration in July 2023. However, till date the government has not released the money.
Drawing flak for delaying the project, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the election campaign in Dharamsala Assembly byelection said the government had got the project reassessed and would deposit Rs 15 crore in the month of June after elections for transferring forest land in the name of CUHP. However, the Opposition BJP made it a big issue and alleged that the government was trying to sideline the issue.
The CUHP authorities had been carrying out hectic lobbying for getting the government to deposit Rs 30 crore for transfer of land.
The state spokesperson of BJP, Sanjay Sharma, while talking to The Tribune said the present government had been adopting discriminatory attitude towards Kangra district. “The people of the district have already punished the state Congress by defeating it badly in the Lok Sabha polls. It is high time the Congress MLAs from Kangra speak up for the rights of the region or else they are bound to face punishment at the hands of the people,” he said.
As per the recommendations of the state government in 2010 when the CUHP was established, two campuses were proposed for the institute. While the South campus was to be established in Dehra area of Kangra district, the North campus was proposed to be established in Dharamsala. About 200 hectares forest land in Dehra area was transferred in the name of CUHP during the stint of the previous BJP government. The work for the construction of South campus of CUHP has already started.
However, the work for construction of North campus of CUHP could not be started as the state government has not deposited Rs 30 crore as cost of land. Many citizen groups in Dharamsala had been protesting alleging conspiracy to shift the entire campus of CUHP out of Dharamsala region. They have been carrying out an agitation demanding the starting of North campus at the earliest. The issue got predominantly highlighted in the Dharamsala byelection campaign.
